Well, LeBron James is still undecided. Or maybe he isn't. Who knows? But unlike James, one star in the Cleveland organization was ready to go Thursday night. Francisco Lindor may be having a slightly down season compared to his high standards, yet the shortstop still looks ready for a promotion sooner rather than later. Join Jim Piascik as he breaks down Lindor's night, recaps the rest of the action throughout the system, and takes you Around the Farm.

The Lake County captains held on for a 5-4 win against the Lansing Lugnuts after giving up a run in four straight innings. Lake County's offense was sparked by a three-RBI home run from Nellie Rodriguez and multi-hit games from Ivan Castillo and Eric Haase. Caleb Hamrick picked up the win while Trevor Frank got his eighth save of the season.

The Captains had a rough week losing five in a row before winning on Wednesday night to finish the week 1-6. Some bats are starting to heat up (and some cool down) and the roster shuffling continues as players continue to come and go. The IBI's Stephanie Metzger recaps the week that was for the Captains...

Most of Cleveland seemed to come to a standstill while awaiting LeBron James' announcement on Wednesday, an announcement we are all still waiting to bear witness to. But while there was mostly inaction regarding The Decision 2.0, the minor leagues provided plenty of action, including Erik Gonzalez showing more signs of life following a bit of an extended slump. Join Jim Piascik as he breaks down Gonzalez's season to date and the rest of the action throughout the organization as he takes you Around the Farm.

In today’s early week edition of Minor Happenings, the IBI's Tony Lastoria runs down all of the injuries throughout the Indians minor league system and provides updates on the status of the players and when they might be returning to the field. He also takes a look at the recent good pitching from High-A Carolina reliever Rob Nixon, provide tons of comments from the front office on several players at Triple-A Columbus who have recently been called up (Tyler Holt and Roberto Perez) or soon will be (Giovanny Urshela, Bryan Price, etc), and much more.

The Lansing Lugnuts tallied 13 hits on their way to a 12-4 win against the Lake County Captains Tuesday night. Nellie Rodriguez and Claudio Bautista each tallied two hits for Lake County, but the team simply couldn't score enough runs to hold on. Mitch Brown took the loss for the Captains after giving up nine runs in 6.1 innings.

Andrew Velazquez hit an inside the park homerun to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth inning and South Bend took that momentum and turned it into a 8-7 win over the Captains. The homer for Velazquez was his sixth on the season and the Silver Hawks swept the Captains in the three game set. The Silver Hawks won the game on a bases loaded walk-off walk.

The WAR Room is back again, bringing you the 2014 advanced stats for every Cleveland minor leaguer. After looking at the pitchers last week, today we focus on the hitters. In this week's The WAR Room, Jim Piascik checks in on where Tyler Naquin and Joey Wendle stand now that it is official both could miss the rest of the season with injuries. Join Jim as he breaks down Naquin and Wendle's season and a lot more as he takes you into The WAR Room.

The South Bend Silver Hawks (11-5, 51-34) withstood a late rally by the Lake County Captains (9-7, 36-50) in the eighth inning as the Silver Hawks took the middle game of the three game series 8-7 on Saturday night.

The Fourth of July proved to be a less-than-impressive day in the Cleveland organization, but Arthur Kinney still found some performances of note. One of them belonged to Joe Sever, who looks to be getting back on track after some recent struggles. Join Arthur as he recaps all of the Independence Day action and takes you Around the Farm.

The Lake County Captains (9-6) were defeated by the South Bend Silver Hawks (9-5) Friday evening by the final score of 6-2. Lake County scored the first runs of the game in the top of the first inning. Silver Hawk starter Blayne Weller (4-4, 4.52 ERA) hit second baseman Claudio Bautista with a pitch to start the game. After Weller struck out the next two batters he faced, first baseman Nellie Rodriguez hit a two-run home run that gave the Captains a 2-0 lead.

In this week’s Minor Happenings, the IBI's Tony Lastoria takes a look at the recent surge in performance at Triple-A for right-handed pitcher Danny Salazar, how his stuff has looked and if he is getting back into the form that impacted the Indians roster late last season. He takes a deep look into the breakout performance at Double-A Akron for outfielder Anthony Gallas, what it means and what has changed for him. He also provides some insight into the turnaround for Low-A Lake County righty Mitch Brown, looks at the biggest change to Triple-A catcher Roberto Perez’s approach and more.

The name of the game is patience. No wait, that was last night's theme. Anyway, Kieran Lovegrove rewarded anyone who has been patient with him Thursday night, tossing five no-hit innings and showing flashes of why he was a highly regarded third round pick in 2012. He was joined by Claudio Bautista, who will also need some patience in the future as he learns to be more selective at the plate. Join Jim Piascik as takes you Around the Farm, breaking down Lovegrove and Bautista's nights in addition to recapping all the action throughout the organization.

The Bowling Green Hot Rods (5-9, 37-46) scored early and often on Thursday night and they held off a late rally by the Lake County Captains (9-5, 36-48). The Hot Rods took the series with a 8-5 win in the rubber game in front of 7,677 fans at Classic Park. The game featured 13 runs, 29 hits and ten extra base hits.

It is often not easy for young players to adjust to pro ball and for some it can take a few seasons before they settle in and really begin to make some progress. For Low-A Lake County righty Mitch Brown, that has been the case as he strugged his first year-plus in the organization but is really starting to settle in now. The IBI's Stephanie Metzger recently caught up with him to talk about his season and also recaps the week that was for the Captains...

It is really hard to be patient for any stretch of time. Like waiting for Christmas as a child -- or even now for Jim Piascik, the wait for the final Hobbit movie -- is unbearable (same for the waits leading up to the first two, for that matter). But it is absolutely vital to be patient to a fault with prospects, especially ones with the talent of Mitch Brown and Carlos Moncrief. Join Jim as he breaks down Brown's turnaround, the recent resurgence of Moncrief, and much more as he takes you Around the Farm.

The Lake County Captains beat the Bowling Green Hot Rods, 4-2, behind seven hits, including three for extra bases. Mitch Brown picked up with win after six solid innings, including seven strikeouts, and Trevor Frank got the save. Clint Frazier blasted a sixth-inning home run while Richard Stock picked up two hits for the Captains.

The Bowling Green Hot Rods kept on adding to their lead as they topped the Lake County Captains, 10-2. The Captains gave up 15 total hits in the game, including 12 off of starter Luis Lugo, who took the loss. James Stokes and Ben Heller pitched a scoreless inning each to end the game on a high note for Lake County.

Baseball bloodlines have become an integral part of the game. The Alomars, the Ripkens, the Molinas. The Niekro knuckleball danced its way through generations. Ken Griffey Jr. once played alongside his father, solidifying one of baseball’s greatest father-son moments. The IBI's Stephanie Metzger talks about Michael Brantley's cousin Justin who is making his way through the Indians minor league system as a pitcher.
Baseball seems to be a genetic trait, and the Brantley family is no different.

Nellie Rodriguez blasted a three-run homerun in the top of the sixth inning, to cap a six run outburst as the Captains went on to beat the Dragons 13-2 on Monday. Rodriguez now has 10 homeruns on the season and 35 RBI. The Captains have won four straight series.

Available IBI Books

The 2014 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider book featuring the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is now available. Also, previous editions from 2008-2012 are also available at a discounted rate. Just click on the book image for more information. Thanks again for all the support!